ABSTRACT
The art and practice of ‘developing professionals’ is a multilayered enterprise involving a variety of contexts, many different actors, and a range of processes over time. When designing developmental opportunities, one must ask some obvious questions such as ‘What kind of higher education professional is needed in future?’, ‘What kind of developmental opportunities lead to the emergence and growth of professional skills and identity?’, ‘What capabilities and capacities need to be developed to grow as a higher education professional?’, and ‘In which settings and circumstances will these capabilities and capacities be exercised in future?’ These are broad questions that do not have simple or definitive answers. Indeed, there are likely to be many possible answers since higher education is not homogeneous, either within or across countries. The UK sector is likely to become still more diverse in the next decade, as the missions of traditional universities evolve and as new providers emerge onto the scene. Furthermore, there is no single professional group within institutions; instead, many different professionals work in higher education carrying out diverse roles and portfolios, even where formal titles are similar. While there are common challenges arising from external trends and environmental conditions, both subtle and substantive differences also exist, with a range of choices available to institutions and individuals. Finally, a dynamic external environment is already creating-and doubtless will continue to createuncertainty about the precise nature of future roles and associated capabilities and capacities. For all these reasons, development routes and opportunities are likely to be non-linear and varied in form and scope.
